Electrical ground connection



1930. E. G. K. ANDERSON ELECTRICAL GROUND CONNECTION Filed Jan. 3, 1927 Patented Aug. 12, 1930 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE ERNST G. K. ALN'DEBSON, OI EVAN'STON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO APPLETON ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS ELECTRICAL GROUND CONNECTION or the like and between a protective conduit for the conductor and such pipe. 1

A further object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel electricallyconductive connection between a pipe, a conductor and a protective conduit for the conductor, which may quickly and easily be applied regardless of the distance, within limits, between the pipe and the end of the conduit or the angular relation between'the pipe and the conduit.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter he pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages,

reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figures 1 is a plan view of one of my improved devices forming a ground connection etween a conductor and its conduit and a conveniently located pipe, the conduit being shown in dotted lines in other positions which it may take; Fi 2 is a side elevation of the device, the pipe eing shown in section; Fig.

. 3 is a bottom plan view of what may be.

termed the base member of the device; Figs. 4 and 5 are front and top views of the clamping plate; and Fig. 6 a section taken on line 66 of Fig. 4, showing the clamping plate and also the clamping strip threaded through the same.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents what may be termed the base member, which may consist of a simple long rigid flat plate.

In the plate, near one end is a hole 2; at about the middle is a hole 3, and toward the other end are two longitudinal rows of holes 4. Overlying the base is a flexible metal strip 5 somewhat narrower than the distance between the two rows of holes 4. Resting on one end of the strip is a socket member 6. A stud or bolt 7, passing through the hole 2 in the base, through the strip, and into the socket, serves to clamp the socket the strip and the base together and secure them in electrically-conductive relation to each other. At the same time, the socket may be swung angularly about the axis of the bolt or screw 7 so as to permit a pipe or conduit A, to be entered into the socket,to approach the connector from any angle. I

Overlying the strip, just above the hole 3 in the base, is a terminal 8 secured in place by means of a screw 9 passing through a portion of the terminal and through the strip into the hole 3. The end of a conductor, such as. B, extending through the conduit and the socket, may be attached to the terminal.

By the means just described, the conduit and the conductor are electrically connected to the base and to the flexible strip, so that if either or both of the latter are connected to a pipe or other suitable ground element, both the conductor and its conduit will beefiectively grounded. To this end I have provided means for wrapping the free end of the flexible strip around a pipe or other ground element and drawing it into intimate contact therewith. The strip is therefore made much longer than the base so as to project past one end of the latter. Cooperating with the strip is a clamping plate comprising a horizontal wing 10 and a downwardly and outwardly inclined wing 11. The plate is provided with slots 12 and 13 cut inwardly through the apex thereof into both wings and spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the holes 4 and the two parallel rows in the base. That portion of the wing 11 lying between the slots is slit transversely or horizontally to form an upper blade 14 and a lower blade 15, The free end of the strip 5, after the strip has been Wrapped around the pipe, is threaded through the gap between the blades 14 and 15 on the clamping plate. Long screws 17 are then passed downwardly through the clamping plate and into corresponding holes in the two longitudinal rows in the base. The downward pressure on the clamping plate crosses the plate to exert a gripping action on that part of the strip engaged thereby, so as to cause the strip to be positively drawn taut and thus mechanically fasten the device securely to the pipe and at the same time produce a good electricallyconductive connection.

It will be seen that by employing two rows of holes 4 instead of simply a pair of such holes, a considerable range of adjustment, not only for size of pipe, but for distance between the )ipe and the end of the conduit, is afforded. or example, the pipe may be positioned somewhat farther toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, or farther toward the left.

It will thus be seen that my improved connecting device is elastic in its adaptation to conditions encountered in actual practice. In other words, the distance between a ground pipe and a protective conduit for a conductor need not always be the same, nor need the conduit approach the pipe from a predetermined fixed direction but may lie at any angle to the pipe. Furthermore, the pipe clamp is adjustable to adapt it to pipes varying widely in diameter. It will also be seen that by simply removing the socket and replacing it with another, the device becomes adapted; for use with conduits of various sizes. Therefore, my improved device is universal in character to the extent that it requires only the substitution of a small socket to adapt it to any size of ground pipe or conduit.

\Vhile I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. In combination, a base, a flexible strip of greater length than the base overlying the latter, a socket overlying one end of the strip and the base, means for securing said socket to the strip and the base in any one of a plurality of angular positions, said base having two longitudinal rows of holes extending through the same at the other end, and a clamping device including a pair of screws to engage corresponding holes in said rows for engaging with the free end of said strip and drawing it about a pipe or the like.

2. A device of the character described comprising a base, a flexible strip overlying and extending lengthwise of the base, a socket resting upon one end of the strip and the base, means extending through the base and the strip for securing the socket and permitting it to assume any one of a plurality of angular positions, means cooperating with the free end of the strip to fasten it in the form of a loop about a pipe or the like, a terminal overlying the strip and the base at some distance removed from said socket and constructed to receive the end of a conductor extending through said socket, and a screw passing through said terminal and into the underlying base.

3. A device of the character described comprising a rigid base, a flexible strip longer than the base overlying the latter. and extending lengthwise thereof, a socket resting on one end of the strip, a single fastening extending through the socket the strip and the base to secure them together, and means cooperating with the opposite end of the strip and the base to clamp the strip about pipes of various sizes.

4. In a device of the character described, a rigid base, a strip overlying the base and having a free end projecting therefrom, a plate lying above the base and having two wings arranged at an acute angle to each other, the upper wing being approximately parallel with the base and the lower wing extending at an angle to the base, the lower wing having a slot therein, the free end of the strip being threaded through said slot, and screws extending through said plate from the upper wing into said base.

5. A device of the character described comprising a flat rigid base, a flexible strip, narrower and longer than the base overlying the base and projecting beyond one end of the latter, means securing the strip and the base together, said base having a row of holes arranged on each side of the strip, and means including screws adapted to enter corresponding holes in the two rows co-operating with the free end of the strip to clamp the latter about a pipe or the like.

6. In a device of the character described comprising a base provided at one end with a socket to receive a conduit or the like, a flexible strip overlying the base and projecting beyond the other end of the latter, a terminal member securing the strip to the base at some distance from the latter end, said base having two longitudinal rows of holes extending through the same, and a clamping device including a pair of screws to enter in corresponding holes in said rows for engaging with the free end of said strip and drawing it about a pipe or the like.

7 A device of the character described comprising a rigid base, a flexible strip longer than the base overlying the latter and extending lengthwise thereof, a socket resting on one end of the strip and having a lug projecting therefrom, a single fastening device extending through said lug and the strip and the base to secure the same together and permit the socket to assume various angular positions, and means cooperating with the opposite end of the strip and base to clamp the strip about a pipe or the like.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

ERNST G. K. ANDERSON. 

